Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
Two tankers were struck and caught fire in the Black Sea close to Turkey shores on November 28, with crews on both vessels reported to be safe.
Turkey’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs said the first tanker, the Gambian-flagged Kairos, caught fire in the Black Sea, approximately 28 nautical miles off the coast of Turkey, as a result of an “an external impact,” without elaborating on the cause.
Two fast rescue boats, a tugboat, and an emergency response vessel were immediately dispatched to the scene and the 25 crew members on board were safely rescued, according to the maritime authority.
The 274-meter-long tanker Kairos was en route from Egypt to the port of Novorossiysk in Russia, Turkey’s Transport Ministry said.
In under an hour, the maritime authority reported that a second tanker, Virat, was “struck” while sailing in the Black Sea about 35 nautical miles off the Turkish coast. Rescue teams were quickly dispatched to the scene. Heavy smoke was detected in the engine room but the 20 personnel on board were in good condition, authorities said.
Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
Both Kairos and Virat are reportedly on a list of ships subject to sanctions imposed against Russia in response to the special military operation in Ukraine.
The Tribeca shipping agency said in a statement that the Kairos may have struck a mine. There have been incidents of vessels hitting mines in the Black Sea since the start of the operation in Ukraine, and some mines have been found drifting close to the Turkish coast.
The timing of the blasts suggests, however, this may have been a deliberate act of sabotage. If this was the case, then Ukrainian intelligence is the main suspect.
The blasts came as Ukraine is desperately attempting to improve its stance in peace talks mediated by the U.S., amid a series of defeats in the special military operations zone. Russia, whose affiliation with the tankers is yet to be confirmed, is yet to make any comment on the issue.
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“ukrainian intelligence!?” reality = mossad, cia, mi6.